Avalanche (12 page)

“I’m not trying to scare you. I just want you to consider
all of the possibilities.”

“Guys,” Kendra came running down the stairs. “I think I saw
someone outside!”

Red jumped up, freeing his gun from its holster.

“Where?”

“At the side of the house. I looked out my bedroom window,
and I swear I saw someone standing at the edge of the trees.” Visibly shaking,
Kendra looked at them with wide eyes.

“Lock the door behind me,” Red ordered, racing to the back
door.

Pamela followed quickly behind him, terror taking over her
senses, like she’d never known before. The fear was not for her, but for Red.
He was going out into the night, all alone, possibly to face a dangerous
criminal.

Had he trained for this? He’d never worked in law
enforcement, before taking on the Sheriff’s job in Starsdale. Did he even know
how to use a gun?

The thoughts continued, even after she went to Kendra, doing
her best to calm the young woman. Worry for Red was like a rock on her soul,
weighing her down with uncertainty and fear.

“What did he look like?” she asked Kendra, helping her to
settle on the sofa. “How tall, how big, could you tell?”

“No, he was just a shadow, at the edge of the trees. I
wouldn’t have even seen him, but he moved, just as I looked out the window.”
Kendra took a deep breath. “It scared me so much, I just ran down here. I
didn’t think to notice details. I’m sorry.”

“No, no, I’m sorry. I’m sure it was terrifying, given
everything that’s been happening. You did exactly the right thing, coming to
Red. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

“You’re worried about him.” Kendra stated, surprised.

“A little. I’ve known Red for a long time, I don’t want
anything to happen to him.”

“He’s a Sheriff, he knows what he’s doing, right?”

“Right!” Pamela stated, with a conviction she did not feel.
“How about some tea?”

“I’d love some, but let’s wait until Red gets back. I don’t
think I could drink anything at the moment.”

Just then, Red appeared at the back door, startling both
women. Pamela ran to unlock the door.

“Are you okay? Did you see anything?” Pamela pulled him
inside, checking him out from head to toe.

“No, nothing. Whoever was there disappeared. I didn’t even
see any footprints, but I’ll look again in the morning. What are you doing?” he
asked, noticing Pamela’s eagle-eyed inspection.

“Making sure you’re okay,” she answered, breathing a sigh of
relief.

“Of course I’m okay,” Red rolled his eyes, then took Pamela
by the arm. “Let’s sit. Kendra, tell me exactly what you saw.” Leading Pam into
the living room, he focused on Kendra.

“Nothing really, just a shadow. Like I told Pamela, he
moved, just as I looked outside. He was standing at the edge of the trees,
staring at the house.”

“Did you notice anything about him? Height? Weight? Facial
features?”

“No, none of those. It’s hard to know how tall he was, given
that I was above him. It was so dark, I just ran to get you.”

“That’s good, Kendra. You did the right thing. Maybe we
picked up something on the feeds.” Red moved to the computer, pulling up the
video.

“Feeds? You have cameras outside, too?” Kendra asked,
surprised.

“Yes, but not on that side of the house. I’ll remedy that
tomorrow,” Red said, seemingly to himself. “Still, if he walked around the
house, then we might have something on one of the other cameras.”

“I’m making tea, Red?”

“Sure, thanks, Pam,” he said, focusing on the screen.

Pam went to the kitchen, glad to have something to do.
Standing at the sink, her back to the living room, she worked hard to compose
herself.

“Red is fine,” she said softly, over and over again. Finally,
taking a deep breath, she filled the kettle with water.

“I can’t believe he was able to avoid all of the cameras,”
Red was saying, when she came back into the room. “He must have come in from
the front, then went to that side of the house. But why did he avoid his usual
viewing spots?”

“His usual spots?” Kendra asked, looking up as Pamela
reentered.

“Yes, he’s been watching my bedroom, the porch, the kitchen,
and the living room. Red found three locations outside where he’s been
standing.” Pamela explained, perching on the arm of the chair.

“Maybe he saw you, and got spooked,” Red said, trying to
find an explanation for the stalker’s disappearing act. Did you have the light
on in the room, when you looked out?”

“Yes, I didn’t expect to see anything. I was just looking
outside, checking out the scenery.”

“Surely that’s what happened,” Pamela reasoned. “He saw her,
knew that she saw him, and ran.”

“Yep, I guess so,” Red agreed, scrolling through each of the
video feeds, once again. “Dammit, we were so close!”

“Do you think he’ll come back tonight?” Kendra asked.

“Hard to say. If he does, it won’t be for a while. He may
have seen me come outside to take a look around. I know he can see my car in
the drive. He knows that Pam’s not alone.”

“He knew that this afternoon,” Pam said, standing when the
kettle began to whistle.

“What do you mean?” Kendra asked.

“He sent a text, while you were at the store,” Red
explained, still running through the feeds. “Said to enjoy the house party. He
must have seen you two move in.”

“Is that good or bad?” Kendra frowned.

“I thought it was good. I want him to know that Pam’s
protected. But now, I’m beginning to wonder if we need to go at this another
way.”

“What do you mean?” Pamela asked, bringing two mugs into the
room.

“I mean we let him think you’re here alone, see if he’ll
make a move. It might be the only way to catch him.”

“How would we do that, exactly?” Pam handed Red a mug.

“Not sure. I need to think about it, talk to a friend of
mine in Sacramento. He’s dealt with stalking cases before. He may have some
insight on how best to handle it.”

“I think I’ll take this upstairs,” Kendra said, standing
with her tea. “I don’t think I’ll be looking out of any more windows, though.”

“I’m sorry you were frightened, Kendra. If you’d like to go
back to LA tomorrow, I understand.” Pamela came to put her arm around her.

“No, I don’t want to leave. I feel safe with Red, and the
alarm system. Besides, we don’t want you to be alone, right?”

“Thanks. But if you change your mind, it’s okay.” Pamela
assured her.

“Thanks, but I won’t. Good night.” Kendra left, leaving
Pamela alone with Red.

“How much training have you had?” she asked, surprising him.

“What do you mean?” Looking up, he watched as she came to
sit beside him on the sofa.

“Training. As in Sheriff’s training. How to use a gun, how
to protect yourself, that sort of thing.” Pamela persisted.

“I took a six-week course before I became official. It was
more like a boot camp, intense law enforcement training. Why do you ask? Are
you worried about my qualifications?”

“Yes. No.” Pamela shook her head. “Not really. I just want
to know that you’re safe, when you run off into the night.”

“You’re worried about me?”

“Maybe. A little. You were a good firefighter, you’re an
awesome pilot, but I was wondering about your skills as a Sheriff.”

“Hey, I was a
great
firefighter,” Red grinned,
pleased that she cared enough to worry. “And I can hold my own as a Sheriff.”
Sobering, Red reached over to touch her arm. “Seriously, Pam, I wouldn’t be
here protecting you, if I didn’t feel qualified.”

“I always feel safe with you, Red. It’s not about me. I was
only asking because you’ve never done this before.”

“I’ve been doing it for the past year, Pamela. I’m well
trained in firearms, so don’t worry about that. I admit that I know very little
about stalkers, but I’m learning. I won’t let him hurt you, Pam. And I’ve no
intention of letting him hurt me, either.”

“Do you have a vest?”

“Are you talking about a Kevlar vest, for protection?”

“Yes. Something to stop a bullet.”

“Yes. But I’m not wearing it at the moment.”

“Why not? You storm out of the house, hell bent on catching
this creep, with no thought to your own protection. And you wonder why I
worry.”

“You’re right. I should have worn a vest. I’ll bring it tomorrow,
okay?” Red tried not to show her how much her concern meant to him.

“Okay.” Pamela fell back against the sofa, spent. “Drink
your tea.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“This is Cliffside, the event planning business where my
friend Jade works,” Pamela told Kendra as they parked outside of the event
center. “A friend of mine from high school, Sharon Simmons, owns it, along with
the restaurant, Cliffside. Her partner, Chelsea, also owns the B&B we
looked at online this morning.”

“That was so beautiful, I’d love to see it in person,”
Kendra said, looking around as she got out of the car.

“I’m sure that can be arranged. Chelsea is great, you’ll
love her. But first, I need to speak with Jade about her manuscript.”

“If it’s as good as you said, then she won’t be working here
for long,” Kendra said, following Pamela into the building.

“It’s good, believe me. You can read it for yourself, if you
like. I’m sure Jade won’t mind.”

“Jade won’t mind what?” Jade asked, coming around the side
of the building, her arms filled with potted mums.

“Hey, good morning. I hope you don’t mind that we’re
dropping in,” Pamela asked, coming to take some of the flowers from her. “This
is Kendra Knowles, my assistant. Kendra, this is Jade Kingsley.”

“Pleasure,” Kendra said, smiling.

“Hi, welcome to Starsdale, Kendra. Come on inside, you can
tell me what I won’t mind doing,” Jade said with a smile, leading them into
Cliffside.

“I told Kendra that I didn’t think you would mind her
reading your book. Which is wonderful, by the way.” Pamela placed the plants on
the table.

“You really liked it?” Jade asked, surprised.

“Yes, of course. Surely you know how good it is, everyone
keeps raving about it.” Pamela laughed at the look on Jade’s face.

“Yes, well, it’s still kind of hard to believe. I know I
liked it, so did my friends. But you are in the business. Your opinion means a
lot.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you have a bestseller on your
hands,” Pamela assured her. “So get used to hearing how good it is. Man, I can
just see Laurence Kingsley’s face when he reads it, he’ll flip.”

“That’s kind of what I’m afraid of,” Jade told them,
arranging the potted plants as centerpieces on the tables. “He’ll probably try
to shut it down.”

“Probably, but we won’t let him. I’d like your permission to
shop it around. I won’t mention Kingsley’s name, until we get them hooked.”

“Sure, whatever you think is best. Should we have a
contract?” Jade stopped, eyeing one arrangement critically.

“That’s not necessary. I’ll just make a few friendly calls,
then you can get a lawyer to jump in, after you choose who you’ll let publish
it.”

“Do you really think I’ll have a choice?” Jade looked up,
surprised.

“Definitely. It’s a really, really good book, Jade.”

“Then I’d rather you represent me, can’t you do that? You
said I needed an agent, I choose you. If we need a lawyer later, we’ll get one.
I know nothing about negotiating contracts, or making deals, but you do.”

“Yes, I do,” Pamela said slowly. “But I’m getting out of the
business, Jade.”

“No, you’re just relocating,” Jade said with a smile. “If
you’re going to work for me, I want it to be official. I trust you, Pamela. So
draw up a contract, and I’ll sign it.”

“Okay, okay,” Pamela said, laughing. “If you insist, I’ll be
your agent. At least for this first book.”

“First book?” Jade stopped smiling. “What makes you think
there’ll be another one?”

“You’re too good of a writer to stop now, Jade. Don’t you
have any ideas for another?”

“Maybe. A few,” Jade said, going back to the centerpieces.
“Let’s just see how well this one does, before I start writing another. I’m
quite content, anyway. Working for Cliffside is a dream job.”

“Not to mention the dream guy you’ve got, waiting at home,”
Pamela teased.

“There is that,” Jade grinned, blushing. “Speaking of, how
are you and Red?”

Kendra’s ears perked up when Jade mentioned Red. After the
way Pamela acted last night, when Red was outside searching for the stalker,
she thought there might be something between Pam and the hunky Sheriff, and
Jade’s question all but confirmed it.

“I guess you could say that we’re fine,” Pamela hedged, not
wanting to discuss Red in front of Kendra. “He’s a bossy thing, that’s for
sure. It’s not easy, being friends, and having to follow his commands.” Pamela
wrinkled her nose, sending Jade a look that she hoped her new friend
understood.

“I’m sure that’s difficult.” Jade caught on to the fact that
Pamela didn’t want to discuss her relationship with Red. “But he’s a good guy,
I’m sure everything will work out.” Choosing to avoid the topic altogether,
Jade switched to something easy. “Have you guys had lunch? I was going to get
something from the kitchen, can I tempt you?”

“We don’t want to impose,” Pamela began, grateful for the
topic switch. “I’d hoped to see the restaurant, maybe show it to Kendra. But
from the amount of cars in the lot, I assume that it’s packed.”

“It usually is,” Jade said apologetically. “But Sharon
doesn’t mind feeding me in here. I’m sure she won’t mind taking care of you
two, as well. Maybe we can arrange for a time for you to come back, when the
restaurant is closed. It really is something to see.”

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll come with you to speak to Sharon.”

“Sure, let’s go see her.”

~~~

“I’m surprised that you’re willing to take on a new client,
since you’re closing the business,” Kendra looked sideways at Pamela as she
maneuvered the winding, downhill road.

“Why let my contacts and experience go to waste, when I can
help Jade. Anyway, I’m closing the LA business, I’m still not sure which
direction my career is headed.”

“So, do you think you’ll stay in Starsdale?”

“At this point, I have no idea.” Pamela focused on the road,
hoping that Kendra would stop asking questions. She knew it would be in her
best interests to leave Starsdale, but it felt so good to be back, to be in a
community that cared about her, that she found herself wanting to stay. If only
Red could see beyond their past, they could at least be friends.

“Jade is really nice. You seem to have friends here, why not
stay?” Kendra wanted to get to the bottom of Red and Pamela’s relationship. She
knew there was something there, but she didn’t have the particulars.

“Jade is very nice,” Pamela sighed, stopping at the base of
Sunrise Mountain. “I guess it all depends on what I decide to do for work.” She
felt Kendra probing, but Pamela did not want to discuss Red.

“What about Red? He’s worth hanging around for, don’t you
think?” Kendra realized the only way she would get Pamela to talk about Red was
to bring him up.

“I don’t know what you mean. Red and I are old friends,
that’s it.” Pamela’s voice became terse, more telling than her actual words.

“You were very worried about him last night.” Kendra refused
to let it go, even though she could tell that Pamela wanted nothing more.

“Of course I was.” Pamela turned toward the heart of town.
“Red hasn’t been a Sheriff all that long.”

“Okay. So there’s nothing between you two?”

“Why do you ask, Kendra?” Pamela was very close to dropping
her assistant off at the nearest bus station.

“Just making sure that I wouldn’t be stepping on any toes,”
Kendra watched Pamela carefully for her reaction. “Red’s hot, and single. I’m
single, why not enjoy being cooped up together, right?” She chuckled.

Pamela felt her blood boil, faster than she thought
possible. But she had to keep her cool. She didn’t want Kendra to know how she
felt about Red.

“Red seems pretty focused, Kendra. Maybe after we catch the
stalker, you can let him know that you’re interested.”

“Okay, fair enough. But you’d be okay with that, right?”
Kendra pressed.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Pamela fumed, turning into the market.
“Let’s focus on supplies, shall we?” she asked, parking the car. As she opened
the door, her phone beeped.

Kendra noticed the blood drain from Pamela’s face as she
read the text.

“What is it, is it him?” she asked, holding her breath.

“Yes.” Pamela forwarded the message on to Red before she
showed Kendra the screen.

“
The cop won’t stop me. You are mine.
”

Kendra had no sooner read the words aloud, than Pamela’s
phone rang.

“Where are you?” Red demanded, when she answered.

“We just stopped at the market,” Pamela told him, trying to
keep her voice calm. The text message threw her, but she didn’t know why. It
wasn’t nearly as threatening as some of the others, but to her, it seemed more
menacing.

“Stay put, I’ll be there in a few.”

“Red, we’re at the market,” Pamela tried to infuse
frustration in her voice. It wasn’t a good idea for Red to know how scared she
really was. “You know how busy this place is, we’ll be surrounded by people.
Don’t rush over here, just because that creep sent a text.”

“That creep could be one of those people in the market. I’ll
be there soon, Pam. Stay in your car with the doors locked, please.” Red
disconnected.

“Damn that man, he doesn’t listen to a word I say,” Pamela
tossed her phone into her purse as she closed the car door.

“He could be right, the stalker could follow us into the
store. He could take a shot at you, or try to abduct you, right off of the
street!” Kendra looked around the parking lot, as if she could spot the stalker.

“I highly doubt that, Kendra. Stalkers get off on stalking,
not abducting people in plain sight. He’s just trying to scare me. Red doesn’t
need to rush over here.”

“Better safe than sorry.” Kendra liked the idea of Red
rushing to their rescue.

The loud knock on the driver’s side window made both women
jump.

“Red, what are you doing?” Pamela demanded, opening her
door. “Trying to scare us half to death?”

“I just knocked,” Red answered, offering her his hand. “Come
on, let’s get what you need and get out of here.”

“I thought you weren’t worried about him pursuing me in a
public place?” Pamela asked, narrowing her eyes as she ignored his hand.

“Who knows what this guy will do?” Red answered, nodding to
Kendra. “Hi, Kendra.”

“Red,” Kendra replied, smiling.

“I’m sure you have better things to do besides babysit me in
the market.” Pamela stalked away, ahead of Red.

He walked quickly to catch up.

“As it happens, I was next door at the pharmacy. Mrs. Bryant
forgot to pick up her prescription. I’ll run it out to her this afternoon.”

“Cops do that?” Kendra asked, surprised.

“In Starsdale, they do,” Red told her, chuckling. “It’s part
of the service, helping the community. I don’t mind. It’s difficult for her to
get around.” Red shrugged off the kindness as if it was nothing.

“You just like Mrs. Bryant’s homemade brownies. Fess up,
Red.” Pamela grinned, feeling better now that Red was beside her.

“Well, there is that,” he hedged, then laughed. “Oh, I ran
into JB this morning. He said Hershey misses you.”

“I miss Hershey,” Pamela told him. “I never knew I could
fall in love with a dog. How is JB? I barely saw him, the entire time I stayed
at their house.”

“Busy. He’s at the high school today, taking yearbook
photos. Tomorrow, he’s going to Robert’s farm. Which reminds me, we’ve been
invited to dinner tomorrow night at Robert and Dana’s.”

“Really? I don’t even know them.”

“That’s kind of the point,” Red rolled his eyes. “Dana wants
to meet you, so she set it up. What do you say?”

“Umm, sure, why not?”

“Kendra, you’re invited too.”

“Thanks. What kind of farm? Do they have horses?”

“No, they grow vegetables and fruit. There are a few
chickens running around, but that’s about it.”

“Sharon and Chelsea both mentioned them. Robert was one of
the men caught on the mountain with you, right?”

“Yes. He’s a good guy. The whole group is coming; Justin and
Jade, Mac and Chelsea, Sharon and JB. Should be fun.”

“I could use some of that.” Pamela picked up a melon and
smelled it.

“I thought so.” Red glanced over at the peppers. “How about
I cook tonight? I make a mean salsa,” he told Kendra, who came to stand beside
him.

“You’ll get no argument from me,” Kendra smiled, picking up
a tomato. “How many of these do you need?”

“At least six,” Red answered, inspecting the jalapenos. “We
can have tacos on the side,” he decided, after selecting the peppers.

“I thought the salsa was a side,” Kendra laughed, managing
to stay with Red.

“Not my salsa,” he told her. “It’s good enough to be the
main course. Isn’t that right, Pam?”

“If you say so,” Pamela smiled perfunctorily, then moved the
cart to the apple section.

“Ouch,” Red answered, sidling up beside her. “I thought you
loved my salsa.”

He was so close that Pamela could feel his heat, radiating
toward her. It was very distracting.

“I do, but it’s been awhile since I’ve had any. You might
have changed the recipe.”

“Mess with perfection? I think not!” Red stopped himself
from draping his arm around her. She looked so stiff, so uncomfortable,
standing beside him, that he wanted to make her loosen up. Instead, he stepped
away.

Kendra watched the exchange with interest. There was
definitely something between Red and Pamela. Or at least there had been.
Apparently, it was over now, so the field was still wide open, as far as she
was concerned.

They shopped without incident, no sign of anyone tracking
them, and no additional texts. By the time they arrived at Pamela’s house, Red
following close behind, the most recent text was all but forgotten.

Shopping with Red had been fun, more fun than Pamela remembered.
His constant chatter kept them entertained, and when he wasn’t talking to them,
he was greeting everyone they met by name. Pamela saw old acquaintances, some
she hadn’t thought about since leaving the small town. Everyone thought the
world of Red; that much was obvious. He had truly found his niche, back home in
Starsdale.